Interesting addition to a Torah
Was checking through a sefer torah, which turned out to be two sifrey torah joined together, but at the end there was an extra piece of k'laf between the last yeriah and the ets chayim. And on it was the writing below showing that one Eliezer Friedmann fixed this in Pesht in 1947. I'm guessing that he was very proud to have rescued two sifrey after the Shoah. A real piece of history as you just never see this sort of 'personalisation' on a torah.
.JPG)
Two questions: a) has anyone seen this sort of thing before and b) since it shouldn't be there and probably should be removed but is clearly now an integral part of the history of the Torah, is there any leniency in the halacha that would permit it to remain b'dieved. I have certainly seen additions on Megillat Esther that are permitted (for example where there can be b'rachot and for Teymanim a poem form of the megillah) and also stamps from a magihah and signatures on the back of a torah.
.JPG)
Two questions: a) has anyone seen this sort of thing before and b) since it shouldn't be there and probably should be removed but is clearly now an integral part of the history of the Torah, is there any leniency in the halacha that would permit it to remain b'dieved. I have certainly seen additions on Megillat Esther that are permitted (for example where there can be b'rachot and for Teymanim a poem form of the megillah) and also stamps from a magihah and signatures on the back of a torah.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Mordechai,
ReplyDeleteYes, that is very unique. By the way, Pesht/Pest is Budapest in Hungary. It is extremely telling to be able to glean such information from the back of the Torah.
Like you, I have also seen stamps from magihim and signatures on the back. More so today, it is common to see adhesive stamps with the computer check registry numbers as well.
It appears that we are lenient about this on the back. However, no additional markings are allowed on a Sefer Torah + no signatures. It is not a Picasso that needs to be signed-off. It is Torat Moshe Rabenu and should thus remain so.
Shalom Alberto, I was indeed aware that Pesht was Budapest. Quite right that there shouldn't be signatures on the front. Perhaps then the solution would be to resew that separate piece with it facing the back? I would appreciate some sources that discuss any leniencies (even on the back). Todah.
ReplyDelete